1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a pressure plate assembly for a friction clutch to carry out the adjusting movement.
2. Description of the Related Art
A pressure plate assembly of the type mentioned above is known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 6,866,133. In this pressure plate assembly, a ratchet mechanism which is driven by centrifugal force drives a take-up ring in rotation when wear occurs through the action of centrifugal force by an adjusting element and therefore compensates for wear. The adjusting element cooperates with the take-up ring by means of teeth. The movement of the adjusting element into the take-up starting position is made possible in that the teeth at the adjusting element and the teeth at the take-up ring can disengage from one another. For this purpose, the take-up member must be capable of displacement, which carries the risk that the teeth cannot always be made to interact in the correct manner. Further, a leaf spring element is provided which acts on the adjusting element and, when wear occurs, comes into contact with a stop that is fixed with respect to the housing and, in so doing, cancels a clamping of the take-up member so that the latter can attain its take-up starting position
It is the object of the present invention to provide a pressure plate assembly of the generic type in such a way that highly reliable operation can be achieved in a simple construction.